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For Bellingham to wants to fight his way once again into England’s top squad, it would be smart to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted upon realizing that his number was going up following a night of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the players who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply as a player."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for a strop. The captain had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions leading by two in a meaningless match, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for fouling the Albanian striker. This was hardly a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on because there was a chance he would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the tournament by receiving a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the young midfielder's frustration upon understanding that his replacement was ready for a teammate. He threw his arms up and while he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the touchline it was clear that Tuchel was displeased.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to head in the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. It's not like arguing was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, not included in last month’s squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the fold recently. Essentially his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to coming off the pitch as the side completed a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a feisty challenge from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

This implies it's unclear on how England function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was inconclusive. There was experimentation from the manager at the start. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity over the past few matches, employing a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, the midfielder started for the first time internationally and the positioning of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder gave a similar look to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eze after the break but often looked too desperate to impress. Several rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. The team looked disjointed after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents came after Bellingham squandered possession. His caution came after an opponent took the ball to Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the squad's strength made the difference. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who looked more comfortable to the position in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka delivered a corner for the captain to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the player change. At the end, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel came over behind him and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the away supporters. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon the player just yet. But if the coach is prepared to offer him centre stage remains in doubt.